On this day in movie history - About Schmidt (2002):

About Schmidt

directed by Alexander Payne,

written by Alexander Payne and Jim Taylor,

based on the novel by Louis Begley,

was released in the United States on December 13, 2002.
Music by Rolfe Kent.

Cast:

Jack Nicholson, Kathy Bates, Hope Davis, Dermot Mulroney, June Squibb, Howard Hesseman, Harry Groener, Connie Ray, Len Cariou, Matt Winston, Phil Reeves, Mark Venhuizen, Cheryl Hamada, James M. Connor, Jill Anderson, Vaughan Wenzel, Judith Kathryn Hart, Marilyn Tipp, Robert Kem, Melissa Hanna, Tung Ha, James J. Crawley, Mary Beth Nelson, Steve Heller, Lester Kills Crow, Thomas Michael Belford, McKenna Gibson, Emily McNaughton, Beth Heimann, Linda Wilmot, Chris Huse, Joe Kunze, Angela Lansbury, Mark J. O'Leary, Robert Kingston Phillips Green, Lonnie Ray Senstock, Michael Tolochko.

On this day in movie history - A Beautiful Mind (movie & novel):

A Beautiful Mind

directed by Ron Howard,

written by Akiva Goldsman,

based on the book by Sylvia Nasar,

was released in the United States on December 13, 2001.
Music by James Horner.

Cast:

Russell Crowe, Ed Harris, Jennifer Connelly, Christopher Plummer, Paul Bettany, Adam Goldberg, Josh Lucas, Anthony Rapp, Jason Gray-Stanford, Judd Hirsch, Austin Pendleton, Vivien Cardone, Jillie Simon, Victor Steinbach, Tanya Clarke, Thomas F. Walsh, Jesse Doran, Kent Cassella, Patrick Blindauer, John Blaylock, Roy Thinnes, Anthony Easton, Cheryl Howard, Rance Howard, Jane Jenkins, Darius Stone, Josh Pais, Alex Toma, Valentina Cardinalli, Teagle F. Bougere, David B. Allen, Michael Esper, Eva Burkley, Amy Walz, Tracey Toomey, Jennifer Weedon, Yvonne Thomas, Holly Pitrago, Isadore Rosenfeld, Tommy Allen, Dave Bayer, Brian Keith Lewis, Tom McNutt, Will Dunham, Glenn Roberts, Ed Jupp Jr., Christopher Stockton, Gregory Dress, Carla Occhiogrosso, Matt Samson, Lyena Nomura, Kathleen Fellegara, Betsy Klompus, Stelio Savante, Logan McCall, Bob Broder, Michael Abbott Jr., Liche Ariza, Michael Arthur, Reggie Austin, Fileena Bahris, Lloyd Baskin, Sean Bennett, Cade Bittner, James Thomas Bligh, Peter Bonilla, Rich Bryant, Dan Chen, Phil Cirincione, Scott Addison Clay, Ty Copeman, Sean Dillon, Berly Ellis, Jonah Falcon, Fabrizio Fante, Scott Fernstrom, Michael Fiore, Mike Fitzgerald, Todd Fredericks, Seth Gabel, Russell Gibson, Gregory Gordon, Evan Hart, Jason Horton, Bryce Dallas Howard, Ron Howard, Vivian Kalinov, Alex Lorre, Monique Marissa Lukens, Dory Manzour, Tiffany Marz, Charles McClelland, Jon M. McDonnell, Arnold Montey, Robert Myers, Ryan O’Connor, Nick Oddo, Charles Pendelton, Reed Penney, Michael C. Pierce, Mills Pierre, Deborah Rayne, Sean Reid, Colby Ryan, Brian Smyj, Ned Stuart, Dave Sweeney, Alessandro Tanaka, Douglas Taurel, John H. Tobin, Jeffrey Todd, Michael Tota, Jarred Treiber, Ryan Tygh, Erik Van Wyck, James Whalen, Warner Wolf.

Recommended reading:

A Beautiful Mind

By Sylvia Nasar.

First published 1998.

Published by Simon & Schuster.

Paperback.

ISBN-10: 1451628420

ISBN-13: 978-1451628425

Description:

Also an Academy Award–winning film starring Russell Crowe and Jennifer Connelly – directed by Ron Howard.

The powerful, dramatic biography of math genius John Nash, who overcame serious mental illness and schizophrenia to win the Nobel Prize.

“How could you, a mathematician, believe that extraterrestrials were sending you messages?” the visitor from Harvard asked the West Virginian with the movie-star looks and Olympian manner. “Because the ideas I had about supernatural beings came to me the same way my mathematical ideas did,” came the answer. “So I took them seriously.”

Thus begins the true story of John Nash, the mathematical genius who was a legend by age thirty when he slipped into madness, and who—thanks to the selflessness of a beautiful woman and the loyalty of the mathematics community—emerged after decades of ghostlike existence to win a Nobel Prize for triggering the game theory revolution. The inspiration for an Academy Award–winning movie, Sylvia Nasar’s now-classic biography is a drama about the mystery of the human mind, triumph over adversity, and the healing power of love.

On this day in movie history - The Last Boy Scout (1991):

The Last Boy Scout

directed by Tony Scott,

written by Shane Black,

based on a story by Shane Black and Greg Hicks,

was released in the United States on December 13, 1991.
Music by Michael Kamen.

Cast:

Bruce Willis, Damon Wayans, Chelsea Field, Noble Willingham, Taylor Negron, Danielle Harris, Halle Berry, Bruce McGill, Kim Coates, Chelcie Ross, Joe Santos, Clarence Felder, Frank Collison, Billy Blanks, Sara Suzanne Brown, Eddie Griffin.

On this day in movie history - Magnum Force (1973):

Magnum Force

directed by Ted Post,

written by John Milius and Michael Cimino,

based on a story by John Milius,

was released in the United Kingdom on December 13, 1973.
Music by Lalo Schifrin.

Cast:

Clint Eastwood, Hal Holbrook, Mitchell Ryan, David Soul, Tim Matheson, Kip Niven, Robert Urich, Felton Perry, Maurice Argent, Margaret Avery, Richard Devon, Tony Giorgio, Jack Kosslyn, Bob March, Bob McClurg, John Mitchum, Russ Moro, Clifford A. Pellow, Albert Popwell, Christine White, Adele Yoshioka, Clarence 'Buzz' Anderson, Don Anderson, Susheela Asregadoo, Nina B. Blake, Kenneth Boyd, John Bracci, Marcia Brandwynne, Christopher Brooks, Art Brown, Jeff Carter, Willie Carter, Al Cingolani, Reuben Collins, Cab Covay, Paul D'Amato, Michael L. Davis, Brenda Dennis, Cash Earley, Aaron Edwards, Drew Eshelman, Debra A. Estok, Robert Feero, Peter Fitzsimmons, Ray K. Goman, Joseph Gostanian, Nicholas Grabien, Wayne Grace, J. Peter Hanson, Lisa Herman, Barbara Herring, Will Hutchins, Jay Jacobus, George R. Kalange, Gwyn Karon, Craig Kelly, Edgy Lee, John Lester, Lucy Lowry, Bruce Mackey, Ron Magers, Angela May, Linda McClure, Ricci McGee, Terence McGovern, Janet McGrath, Don Michaelian, Joe Miksak, Lynn Mortensen, Niels Mortensen, Bruce Neckels, Eugene A. Nelson, Ben Niems, Tom O'Neill, Rudy Ortega, Tony Piazza, Charles Raino, George Reading, Jack Rosenblaum, Ray Saunders, Jack Schmidt, Robert E. Simpson, Karna Small, Melvina Smedley, Windrim Smith, Suzanne Somers, Owen Spann, William Swan, Steve Treacy, Robert Trebor, Ed Vasgersian, Conni Venturi, John Vick, Robert V.R. Ware, Carl Weathers, Johnny Weissmuller Jr., Joseph Whipp, William L. Williams, Phil Wilson, Jeff Wynne.

On this day in movie history - The Getaway (1972 movie & novel):

The Getaway

directed by Sam Peckinpah,

written by Walter Hill,

based on the novel by Jim Thompson,

was released in the United States on December 13, 1972.
Music by Quincy Jones.

Cast:

Steve McQueen, Ali MacGraw, Ben Johnson, Sally Struthers, Al Lettieri, Slim Pickens, Richard Bright, Jack Dodson, Dub Taylor, Bo Hopkins, Roy Jenson, John Bryson.

Recommended reading:

The Getaway

By Jim Thompson.

First published 1958.

Published by Mulholland Books.

Paperback.

ISBN-10: 0316403970

ISBN-13: 978-0316403979

Description:

Doc McCoy is the most skilled criminal alive. But when for the first time in Doc's long criminal career, his shot doesn't hit the mark, everything begins to fall apart. And Doc begins to realize that the perfect bank robbery isn't complete without the perfect getaway to back it up.

THE GETAWAY is the classic story of a bank robbery gone horribly wrong, where the smallest mistakes have catastrophic consequences, and shifting loyalties lead to betrayals and chaos. The basis for the classic Steve McQueen film of the same name, as well as a 1994 remake with Alec Baldwin, Thompson's novel set the bar for every heist story that followed - but as Thompson's proved time and again, nobody's ever done it better than the master.